Adventures of the Man Who Was Not Jasper
by Ghostwriter71
Summary: A major scientific experiment gone horribly wrong, a lonely woman waiting in a diner for her future love, a man utterly lost in a world he does not recognize, what will happen?   NOT "all human"...and I own JUST the plot, nothing else
1. Chapter 1: How The Adventure Started

This is sort of a "What IF?" Sci-Fi type story, that asks the question: what is jasper wasn't really Jasper? What would Alice do? Would their story proceed the same way as it did in the books, or would it take a different path?

Adventures Of The Man Who Was Not Jasper

Chapter One: The Experiment (Or, How the Adventure Started)

Just a couple more adjustments and the experiment could finally proceed. After all this time, after the weeks and months of enduring ridicule at the hands of my colleagues, I would finally have the proof that I wasn't crazy. Then the fools who laughed and scoffed would be _begging_ me for forgiveness! They would be fighting for a chance to link their research with mine, instead of ridiculing at me. Yes, once my Demoleculizer was fully functional, it would be me who was pulling in the big grants! All the humiliation I had been subjected to would be worth it. At last, my research and my work would be vindicated!

OK, I know it sounds a little mad-scientist-ish. Sorry, but that's how it felt at the time. I'm not really a bad guy, really. It's just that being mocked constantly for months on end tends to get you down. Plus, I hadn't slept for a couple days, because I was pushing to try and get the Re-atomizing components done by my self-imposed deadline.

Thinking back now, I wonder if that's where I went wrong. I mean, I was so _tired_ that I could easily have switched a wire or two, causing the Re-atomizer to go slightly out of whack. Which would explain how the time-space continuum got messed up. For decades I've been trying to analyze what exactly happened, and that's the best I can come up with. But then, what is it they say about happy accidents? If I hadn't been so tired, if I hadn't crossed some wires accidentally, I never would have met—_her_. Funny how after all these years, I still revere her so much, and I'm so in awe of her, that I can barely say her name-even to myself. Of course, _she _says it's so sweet-my doting over and utter adoration of her—that it brings tears to her eyes, metaphorically speaking.

Still, sometimes I do wonder. Sometimes I think about what happened to the other guy. The real one. The one I replaced. But then, I just think of _her_, and I get selfish. She's mine, and I wouldn't give her up for anything! She's my everything, my life—well, my life in a matter of speaking, since the way they describe it to me I'm actually dead. After so many years spent in contemplation on the subject, I still don't really get that part of it, since I feel more alive than I ever did before the accident.

Then I think, maybe there wasn't someone I replaced. Maybe it was just me, in an alternate universe or something. I don't know. But if so, where do these memories come from-these thoughts of a life I never lived? I have two sets of memories in my head, and that often gets rather confusing. I've tried to sort it all out, but it never makes any sense. One minute I'm remembering fighting in some old war, and the next I'm thinking of the day I got my first research grant. It all seems impossible.

Carlisle has tried to help me out. He's an MD, of course, not a shrink; but he has incredible insights into the mind. He tells me I'm not crazy, and that things always happen the way they're supposed to. He really understands, although I'm not sure even he knows exactly what happened. I really only talk about it with Carlisle and _her_, but I think Edward must know, the way he reads minds like most of us read a book. He doesn't talk about it, but he has to know. Sometimes, when I'm in a reflective mood, he looks at me all sympathetic like, and pats my shoulder.

She just holds my hand, or hugs me, and tells me everything's all right. It doesn't matter how I came to her, she says. All that matters is I'm hers now, and always will be. Then she usually kisses me. Or ruffles my hair. Or both. God, how can you have so much love for one person? Sometimes it scares me, in a good way, knowing that we'll be together for eternity. Especially since eternity is so...eternal. Deep thought, isn't it?

Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself here. It was actually _her _idea for me to write it all down. So, since I would literally do anything for _her_, I'll try.

Like I said, I had just finished connecting the last set of wires. I stood up, and stepped back, stretching my aching back. I'd been hunched over for hours, and the sudden movement had sent a searing pain through my body. And I was starving. Well, I could eat as soon as I did a few tests, I told myself as I rubbed my back. Then my foot went to sleep. One bloody thing after another. I stood looking at the glorious device I had built.

The De/Re-moleculizer would end the need for gasoline, cars, busses, trains and airplanes. It would be great for the environment as well, by eliminating the need for those things and thus the pollution associated with the internal combustion engine. Of course, I foresaw conflict with the oil companies and the airlines, but I wasn't bothered. See, with this device, you could zap yourself from one place to another almost instantly, like in "Star Trek". Just set the controls for your destination, get in the chamber, and Bam!—there you were. I wasn't sure of the range yet, though.

As I gazed at the machine-_my_ machine-I became so eager to test it that I decided to break the first law of scientific research—I would use myself as a test subject. Remember, I was really tired, and obviously not thinking straight. I set the controls to send me down to the lobby. I thought it would be fun to give the night watchmen a scare. Well, as long as they didn't shoot me or something, it would be fun.

Checking to make sure that both the De and Re atomizers were fully powered and function properly, I set the controls for 12 floors down, and climbed into the chamber. I could hear the humming of the electronics as the Demoleculizer powered up, and closed my eyes, a smile on my face. Wait till those rent-a-cops downstairs get a load of this!

Next thing I knew, I was standing on the sidewalk in an unknown part of town, and it was raining...what the heck? Well, I overshot the lobby by a good bit! But where was I? Looking around, I didn't notice anything at all that was even vaguely familiar. And it hadn't even been raining a few minutes ago! Well, first order of business—get out of the weather. I started to walk down the street...


	2. Chapter 2: The Diner

**A/N: OK, in case anyone is reading this, two quick things: First, THANK YOU! I know it's not really the greatest, so if you are still reading, yeah—a huge thank you! Second, yes, this is a Canon story…it IS Jasper, just…not entirely. It's not a "new" character per se. But just a different take on Jasper; a "What If" sort of thing, as I said at the beginning of Chapter One.**

**Also—thanks to BeautifulMessenger for the good review. I shall endeavor to edit and re-write this old story better. **

Chapter two: The Diner

First order of business-get out of the weather. I started to walk down the sidewalk. And the farther I went, the more confused I became. I quickly noticed that the cars driving past, and the ones parked at the curb, were all rather old fashioned. By no means was I an expert on cars, but I guessed they looked like they were all from the late 1940's or early 50's. I shrugged. Maybe there was a car show going on or something. The store fronts, too, were off somehow. They looked like they belonged to an era long past, like the cars did.

Then I started noticing that the people I passed were all dressed nicely. Not at all like how people dress in public these days. There were no jeans, no flip-flops, no pants half falling down, and not a T-shirt to be seen anywhere. Instead, most men and women had hats of one variety or another. But no baseball caps on sideways—these were nice hats. And the men were mostly wearing suits, while the women all wore dresses or skirts.

I frowned. I knew I didn't get out of the lab much, but come one—no one dressed like this anymore! It felt like I had walked onto a movie set. I shrugged again and kept going. Then it popped into my head that it had been night when I tested the De-moleculizer, and now it was the daytime. Odd, to say the least. Or to quote from "Alice In Wonderland": Curiouser and curioser.

A little further on, I saw a kid standing on the corner selling newspapers. It reminded me of something out of old movies I'd seen as a child. I walked over to him. "Buy a paper, mister?" he asked, handing me one. I took it, and as my eyes read the date, I inhaled sharply. Then I looked at it again.

"This isn't possible!" I whispered. I closed my eyes tightly, then opened them and looked a third time. I stared at that date for several moments, my brain desperately trying to accept it. The rain increased as I stood there, soaking the paper. This had to be some kind of joke, so elaborate scheme on the part of my colleagues to trick me into thinking I was back in the late 1940's. But the more I thought about it, the less that idea made sense. No one could have pulled something like this off: all the old cars, the dozens of people not dressed in modern attire, the old store fronts. And no matter how elaborate the planning for something like that would have been, they could not have changed night into day. Not even one of those reality shows could have pulled _that _one off.

Finally, the reality of the situation sank in, and I grinned. I had done what all physicists considered to be the 'Holy Grail' of physics, and yet said was impossible—I had traveled through time. I had actually gone back almost a hundred years!

I can't believe it!" I yelled. "I've invented an actual..." The grin left my face as quickly as it had appeared. Two thoughts hit me at nearly the same time. The first was that if I stood out in the rain and yelled that I'd just created a time machine, the next place I'd find myself would be a padded room somewhere.

The second was—that was not my voice! My hand flew to my throat. That voice was slightly deeper than mine, and had a distinct Southern drawl to it. I was from Chicago. The frown returned as I rubbed my throat, and I wondered again—_**what **_was going on here?

"Hey, mister! The paper's gettin' soaked! You gonna buy it, or what?" I glanced distractedly at the kid, and nodded. I dug two quarters out of my pocket, and handed them to the kid. The rain kept getting worse. I had to get out of this miserable weather. There was a diner a little way down the street. Since I was starving, why not kill two birds with one stone—get inside, and get some lunch? Heading towards the door, I heard the kid yell, "Gee! Thanks, Mister! Fifty cents—wow!" I glanced over my shoulder. Smart mouth kid. Weren't all papers fifty cents? Then it hit me—not in the late 1940's. Oh, well.

Entering the diner, I noticed it was kind of smoky and dim, but I could still see well enough. A few people were scattered around, but the place was more than half-empty. The usual diner smells assaulted me nose. In fact, that was a good word for what happened. The scents of stale cigarette smoke, food cooking on the grill, grease, and disinfectants were so overwhelming that I cringed at their pungency.

The odors were so overpowering that I actually turned to go, but noting that the rain had intensified in the short time I was standing in the entry way, decided to hold my nose and wait for a break in the weather. I looked down to brush the rain off my clothes. Again, two things happened at almost the same moment. I suddenly realized that my lab coat was gone, and someone hopped down from one of the stools at the lunch counter.

I frowned at the unfamiliar clothes I was wearing. "What in the world-", I began muttering, when out of nowhere a voice, a beautiful, wondrously melodic voice, that seemed to be literally bursting with happiness, exclaimed,: "You've kept me waiting a long time!"

My head shot up, and I beheld the most gorgeous, most stunningly eye-catching face I'd ever seen in my life. Or ever will see again, for that matter. She was short—not more than five feet tall, if that—and very thin; pale skinned yet perfectly complexioned, fashionably dressed for the era, with rather short black hair, and a huge, bright smile on her somewhat elfin face. She was so full of happiness that I could almost feel it. In fact, I somehow _did _feel it, which was a strange sensation. Almost creepy. And her eyes—her beautiful gold-colored eyes shone with that happiness. Wait, my mind said: her eyes are gold? I'd never before met anyone with gold eyes.

She kept gazing at me with those incredible eyes of hers. She was so beautiful that I simply gaped at her for several seconds, my jaw hanging slack. I shook my head slightly, and tore my gaze form hers, looking at the floor. I only hoped I hadn't been drooling. How embarrassing.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," I mumbled in that strange voice. Boy was I sorry! Because there was no way on earth that this gorgeous beyond description creature was waiting for _me_! Especially since I shouldn't even be there. I lifted my head again, but didn't look at her. My eyes moved around the dim room. Anywhere except at her perfect face. "But I think you must have me confused with some...one..." My voice trailed off as I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror along the top of the wall behind the counter.

"Oh, no…no, it can't be..." I whispered. My hands, of their own volition, moved to my face. No, not my face—someone _else's_ face. I gasped. But it had to be me, because he—it—I was looking right at him. Besides, when my hands moved, the hands of the image in the mirror moved, too, mimic my movements exactly.. Also, the beautiful girl was standing right next to the guy in the mirror, still smiling. But the face—his face—MY face! It was pale—almost a pallor. I knew I spent too much time in the lab, but I had been down to Florida visiting my sister and her family just a month ago, and had gotten a pretty good tan. And I certainly did NOT have blonde hair. The hair on the image in the mirror was so blonde, in fact, that it was almost golden. _My_ hair was dark brown; and short, not wavy like the image in the mirror's was. Okay, the circles under the eyes I could accept, considering I hadn't had a decent night's sleep in well over a week.

But his eyes—my eyes. They were the thing that creeped me out the most. They were very dark. Almost black. I had blue eyes.

I groaned. This was too much. Never taking my eyes from the mirror, I staggered over to the counter and collapsed onto a stool. The beautiful girl followed, her eyes never leaving my face, and sat down beside me. "What's wrong?" she asked, concern plain in her voice.


	3. Chapter 3: The Hamburger

**A/N: Why do I have to put out a disclaimer for every stinking chapter? Honestly, does anyone reading this actually think I own "Twilight" (ie, think that I'm Stephanie Meyer)? Please. Not even close. The only thing I "own" is the plot, and that really comes from the voices in my head…O_o (Just kidding…about the voices, I mean.) Anyway, here's chapter three. Hope you enjoy it! (If anyone's actually reading it, that is…which I highly doubt; but oh well, here it is regardless…)**

Chapter Three: The Hamburger Made All the Difference

I sat there and stared at the reflection in the mirror for several seconds, while the girl continued to stare at me. Finally I squeezed my eyes shut. "Ok-think, man, think!" I murmured very softly. "You're a scientist! Obviously, some sort of transference has taken place. Concentrate! Analyze! How could this have happened? Can it be reversed? And if so, how? Come up with a solution!" I felt the girl leaning closer to me. She was probably trying to hear what I was mumbling.

I opened my eyes and looked in the mirror again. Those strange, nearly black eyes stared back at me out of the reflection. My entire world had been turned upside down. Even if I could figure out what had gone wrong with my machine, there was no way I could build a duplicate in the 1940's. No way at all. The technology just didn't exist then.

I groaned, and dropped my head to the counter. "I can't explain it. There _**is**_ no solution! This is completely against every law of Quantum Physics I know. Even the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle couldn't account for this. So either I've become utterly delusional, or I'm hallucinating…extreme lack of sleep can cause hallucinations on occasion." I thought for a minute. "Maybe that's it…maybe I just fell asleep and this is all a really bizarre dream, brought about by excitement, severe fatigue, and stress."

The girl touched my shoulder gently. I jumped, my head popping up to catch her eyes on me. They were filled with concern, and sadness, and—love? Ridiculous; I must be reading her emotions incorrectly. How could she love me? She'd never seen me before; she didn't even know who I was! For that matter, I was begging to wonder who I was as well.

"I promise you're not dreaming," she murmured. "But I know how you feel. It seems as if I'm in a dream—a beautiful dream-as well."

I had no idea what she was talking about…my present situation was nowhere close to something I would even remotely call beautiful. But her golden eyes were captivating, and I just stared into them. Slowly, she smiled. I gulped. I squeezed my eyes shut once more, waited a few moments, then opened them. She was still there, still staring at me and smiling. Her smile was gorgeous. She was gorgeous. Beautiful. There indeed was some beauty to this dream or delusion, and it was her.

I gulped again, and tried to return her smile. If this was a dream, I could sure get used to it. I shook my head, tearing my gaze from hers.

I needed a drink. Normally, I never drank alcohol, but this was _not _a normal situation. Turning, I gestured to the man behind the counter, who'd been not too subtly watching us. he walked over to where we were sitting.

"Um—give me a Bourbon…double, straight."

He frowned and said, "Hey, pal—this ain't no bar-it's a diner! We don't serve booze in here!"

The girl beside me giggled. Ignoring her, I looked back at the mirror. Yep, same strange face. So I wasn't awake yet. Then I realized how bloody hungry I was. "Ok, give me a Coke, then. And a hamburger." The man nodded, and turned to the grill.

I heard the girl gasp slightly, so I looked at her. She had her tiny hand over her mouth, and was looking at me wide-eyed.

"What's the matter?"

"Well, you…you ordered a hamburger."

"What can I say? I'm starving. It's a common practice to eat when you're hungry."

She lowered her hand. "I could tell you were…hungry when you walked in. But, really, a hamburger? That won't help!"

Oh for Heaven's sake. She must be a Vegan or something. Just my luck. Now my delusions were starting to annoy me. My brain just _had_ to go and dream up a Vegan!

The girl leaned closer to me. "Don't you want to leave? It-it might be better if you were outside. There's a nice little park nearby that we could go sit in and-and talk, i-if you wanted too." She looked down at her lap shyly.

Oh, Beautiful, I'd love to go anywhere with you, I thought. But I couldn't tell her that. I didn't want to appear too forward. Besides, I was hungry, and wanted my burger. I'd be darned if I would leave without eating my hamburger first.

But the diner was rather noisy…which was strange, considering how few people were there. And it stunk worse than any place I'd ever been before. Funny how I hadn't noticed that before. It had typical diner odors. But there was one odor I couldn't identify, and it had been growing stronger. It was a sweetish odor, and it kind of bothered me for some reason. I sniffed the air and frowned, glancing around the room, trying to figure out what it was and where it was coming from.

I turned back to the girl. Now her eyes looked almost fearful. Like she was afraid of me. Suddenly, I was afraid, too—afraid that I had done something to offend her, and that she was getting ready to bolt out the door. I couldn't bear to think of that, so to distract her, I blurted out, "So, uh—what's your name?"

That calmed her a little. Her eyes brightened, and a small, shy smile crossed her beautiful face. "I'm Mary Alice Brandon!" She replied. "But mostly I go by Alice. What's your name?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but suddenly I was overcome with a slightly weightless, almost dizzy sensation. I shook my head, then blurted out "Mark Jasper!" Then I frowned again. Mark Jasper? What was that? My name was Mark, but for some reason, the name Jasper had shot into my head also. Another one of those weird, disturbing two-thoughts-at-once things I'd been having.

The girl giggled again. "Pleased to meet you, Mark Jasper. Um, since I use my middle name, can I just call you Jasper?"

I shrugged. "I guess, if it makes it easier for you." It would take some getting used to, but then so would seeing this face and hearing this voice all the time. But I didn't tell her that part. Then I smiled at her. "Heck, you can call me anything you want." She lowered her eyes and giggled again.

"What's your last name?" she asked. Ok, right then I _knew_ I was hallucinating. Stupid double thoughts! Two names came to my mind—Whitman and Lockhart. But what came out my mouth was "Whit—Lock..." Then I frowned again. Which was it? I was confused, but it was too late. The girl looked back up at me and smiled that smile of hers. That gorgeous beyond words smile.

"I'm very pleased to meet you, Jasper Whitlock!"

The cook appeared finally, and set a plate with a hamburger and some fries on it down in front of me. I felt Alice stiffen beside me as I reached out and picked up the burger. Silly little Vegan figment of my imagination.

Suddenly, a wave of nausea swept over me. The burger smelled horrible! And it looked even worse! My stomach rolled, and I dropped the burger back onto the plate. "Ugh! I feel sick! And yet—I'm still starving!" I looked back down at the plate. What is going on here?

Then the Alice girl gently touched my shoulder. I turned to her. She smiled, and reached her hand out to me, palm up. Somehow, I knew she was inviting me to go with her. I stared at her hand for a long time. It felt to me like if I took it, I would be crossing a boundary that would change everything I'd ever known. I was scared. I looked back into her golden eyes, and she smiled even more. I could see love in her eyes, and for some strange reason, they filled me with a hope I'd never experienced before. But heck, what difference would it make, if I crossed that imagined boundary? I was either unconscious or demented, wasn't I?

Without looking away from her face, my gaze still locked with hers, I slowly placed my hand on her tiny palm. She sighed, and her smiled widened as she entwined her fingers with mine, looking down at our joined hands. For some reason, it felt like…I had come home. I couldn't explain it. My reason had deserted me. All I felt was that I would die for this absolutely wonderful creature. That I had just met. Good Grief. I must be demented…all gooey-gone over a tiny girl my mind had invented for me.

I was snapped back to the present by the sudden increase of my hunger. The smell of the burger was encouraging the sick feeling in my gut, while at the same time that sickly sweet odor was driving my hunger to the point of no return. I felt strange, and a bizarre urge that I couldn't quite give a name to swept over me.

The Alice girl must have noticed it too, because her face suddenly grew fearful, and she hopped off the stool heading for the door, frantically pulling me outside. She hurried down the street in a rush, still holding my hand and thus dragging me along with her. The rain had turned into a heavy drizzle, but the clouds still hung dark and low in the sky, threatening more rain. Soon the park she had mentioned earlier came into view, and she quickly crossed the street and headed toward it. There were quite a few people there, sitting on (wet) benches, or strolling along the paths that crisscrossed throughout the park.

Ignoring the first several benches we passed, she led me to the most remote corner of the park, where no other people lingered. Then she finally sat, and gently pulled me down beside her.


	4. Chapter 4: Vampires?

**Disclaimre: Blah-blah-bl-blah, blah-bl-blah-bl-blah. There, that about covers it, I think. Here's chapter Four. And again, if anyone is reading this, THANK YOU! And hope you are at least getting a little enjoyment out of it.**

Chapter Four: Vampires?

"There," she sighed. "Isn't that better?" I wasn't exactly sure what she meant by "better", but it _was _nice to be outside and away from that smelly, noisy, and mostly empty diner. I looked around, and sniffed. Fresh scents filed the air. But that other, slightly bothersome sickly-sweet smell still lingered as well. Just not quite so badly out here in the open.

"Now you can hunt! There must be some nice rabbits or squirrels here. I'll help you catch them. I'm not hungry—I ate before I went back to the diner to wait for you some more."

I looked at her face closely, and she flashed her bright, happy smile back at me. She looked all right. "Now I'm confused. Let me see if I've got this right: You dragged me out of a perfectly good diner to come out to a park and hunt rabbits?"

She nodded, and now _she_ looked slightly confused. "Well, yes. I just didn't want you to-cause a scene. I know you're very hungry, and I thought if I brought you here you could hunt and no one would know. Aren't you hungry?"

"Yeah, I'm famished! But, I'm not really in the mood for wild rabbit, thanks. I'm still confused about what happened back there. I mean, I was—_am_—starving, but wow, did that burger make me feel sick."

Alice took my hand again. I looked at her. She was smiling at me still, but now there was also a concerned look in her eyes. Lord, I couldn't let this go on! I had to tell her the truth. So I turned to her. "Look, um…Alice...there's something I've got to tell you," I began.

Then I stopped. How should I say it—"Hey! You have me confused with someone else, because I'm really from the future!" Yeah, that would go over like a lead balloon. I was at a total loss for words. So I just sighed, and said, "What I have to tell you might sound crazy—no, it WILL sound crazy. After you hear it, you'll probably think I belong in an insane asylum or something. But I really need to tell you…see, it's like this-" Suddenly, I broke off. Alice had inhaled sharply, cringed, and put her face into her hands.

Now what did I do? Her shoulders were shaking, and it sounded like she was crying! Me and my big mouth. I got up from the bench, and knelt down in front of her. "Hey, hey. Precious, don't cry! What did I say? Whatever it was, I'm sorry!" I took her hands, and tired to look her in the eye.

And then I felt it...a sharp headache that came out of nowhere and grew steadily worse. I dropped Alice's hands, and grabbed my own head, groaning a little. There was this weird shimmering around Alice, almost like I could-see her sadness? That didn't make any sense. I shook my head, but that made the pain worse.

Alice stopped crying when she noticed the look of agony on my face. Well, I was in agony, so I assume that my face didn't look so hot. Now she grabbed my hands, and asked, "Jasper! What is it?" A look of worry plain on her face.

"Not sure," I mumbled. "Just got a bad headache. Must be because I'm so hungry or something." I looked at her. Her eyes were near panic now, and my headache got even worse. I tried to smile, and said, "Don't worry, I'll be ok." Then she seemed to relax, and the headache started to fade away. Weird-the more she relaxed, the less my head hurt. Soon she was smiling, and the headache was totally gone.

"What did you want to tell me?" she asked.

"Never mind. We'll just forget it for now. But what was it I said that bothered you so much?" Now _I_ was concerned. Sheesh, it was like a tennis game or something; first she was concerned for me, then I for her, back and forth.

Alice looked off into the distance over my head and sighed. "I was in a—an asylum for a while when I was younger." Then I understood. No wonder she reacted the way she did. I can only imagine what an experience like that would do to someone.

"Oh, Alice, I am _so_ sorry! I shouldn't have said that! But I-I didn't know! Oh man, can you forgive me?" I was still on my knees in front of her, still holding her hands tightly in mine. She looked back at me, smiled, and threw herself into my arms. "Don't be sorry, Jasper! It's all right! How could you have known? You're not a mind reader!" Then she sat back and giggled. "But I know where one of those is!"

"Where one of what is?" I asked, confused once more.

She giggled again. "A mind reader! I know where one is!" Then she frowned. "Well, I'm not actually sure _where_ he is...I just know what he looks like, and who he's with! He's with someone named Carlisle. And there are others with them, too. Others like us!"

Then she paused, and looked at me. "At least, like you'll become. They all refrain from drinking humans, and instead go after animals. They call themselves vegetarian vampires. That's what I am. I think that you and I should go and find them." But here I cut her off.

"Um, would you please back up" She looked at me strangely, then leaned back on the bench. I sighed. "No no, darlin'. Back up what you just said."

"You mean, that we should go and find the others with Carlisle?"

"No, before that..."

She frowned, deep in thought. "You mean, vegetarian vampires?"

"Yeah—that!" I got up and sat beside her on the bench. "Look, honey, everyone knows there's no such things as vampires!" I chuckled a little. Well, at least my delirium was logical—I was right about Alice being a Vegan…just, the wrong _kind_ of Vegan. But seriously…now it had conjured up vampires. What next, a witch flying past on her broomstick? The Creature from the Black Lagoon crawling up out of the pond in the park here? Oooh—maybe Big Foot would come walking out of the trees behind us!

She almost glared at me. "Mark Jasper Whitlock! Are you joking with me? You know perfectly well there are such things! You and I are _both_ vampires! Is this some silly game?"

"Uh..." I mumbled stupidly, staring blankly at her. For some odd reason, the headache was returning, and Alice was all shimmery again. Now I could almost see her anger. "OK, honey. Let's calm down and talk about this!"

"Don't you honey me!" She replied. But she actually did calm down. _ She __had been _in an asylum? Maybe she needs to go back, I thought. I shook my head. "Vampires." I muttered aloud that time. "What a joke!"

Suddenly, that sickly sweet smell returned, but even worse than before, and I glanced up. A woman was walking slowly toward us, lost in a book. A noise that sounded suspiciously like a growl escaped my lips, and I shot off the bench at the woman. Alice quickly dragged me back before the woman even noticed. I struggled in her arms, never taking my eyes from the woman who was now far past us.

"Let me go!" I roared. Boy, Alice sure was stronger than she looked. And thank goodness that she was. I was wild, mindless almost. It was like nothing I'd ever felt before.

The sickly sweet smell slowly disappeared, and I stopped struggling. Alice let me go, and I felt my head clear. Then the reality of what had just almost happened hit me, and I turned fear filled eyes on Alice.

"What did I just do?" I whispered. "Good Lord, I wanted to tear her throat out and—and..." I couldn't bring myself to say it. I was shaking all over. And I was thanking God over and over for Alice being able to hold me back.

"And drink her blood," Alice said softly. She hugged me, then said, "Wait here. I'll only be a moment." She skipped away.

I put my face in my hands. What had come over me? Now I know why they call it "bloodlust", because that was all I had wanted-that poor woman's blood! Thank God Alice was here to stop me! Was it the power of suggestion? Was I so hungry that I just lost myself in Alice's comments on vampires? Or was I truly going crazy? Oh, Alice, my guardian angel! I am so sorry I thought you belonged in an asylum.

Alice quickly returned, and sat beside me again. "Here," she said softly. I opened my eyes, and looked at her. In her hands she held two rabbits. My eyes grew wide, and I snarled. Without thinking, I grabbed one, and plunged my teeth into it...


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here is chapter Five. Not sure if anyone is actually reading this, but here ya go anyway. And disclaimer: "blah-blah-blah, bl-blah-blah. I am not Stephenie Meyer, blah-blah-blah…I am not making any money with this, blah-blah-bl-blah." Et cetera. **

**Chapter Five: Two rabbits And A Squirrel **

I sat back with a contented sigh, closed my eyes, and smiled. I wasn't nearly so hungry now. Well, I was still hungry, but at least I wasn't starving anymore. My brain was a bit fuzzy on what exactly had just happened. I'd been desperately hungry, Alice had gotten me food, and it had been wonderful.

"That was delicious, Alice! You're a great cook!"

She giggled. I opened an eye and looked at her. "What's so funny?" I asked, a little confused.

Alice smiled. "Silly boy, I didn't cook anything!"

"Huh?" I looked down at my lap. That's when I remembered just where I was and just what I had been ...eating. The two dead rabbits lay there, completely drained of blood; mute proof of what I had just done. It took a couple seconds for it to sink in, then I flew off the bench with a scream. The rabbit carcasses flopped to the ground, and I sputtered and pointed at them, my eyes wide with shock and revulsion.

A look of concern crossed Alice's beautiful face. "Jasper, what's wrong?" She asked this several times while I continued pointing and sputtering. It took me a while to remember that I was "Jasper", and my not responding to her caused her to become very concerned. She stood up and took me by the arms.

"Jasper Whitlock! What's come over you? Stop it right now! Look at me!"

Feeling nauseous, and yet curiously enticed, by the sight of the two dead rabbits, I seemed incapable of taking my eyes off of them.

Alice shook me again, and repeated her command to look at her. I reluctantly tore my gaze from the dead animals and obeyed her. She had a stern expression on her face as she spoke. "I know you would prefer...human blood," (the idea seemed to disgust her) "But you have got to get used to animals! Especially if we're going to find these other animal-drinkers. I know you'll grow to like it in no time at all!" Her voice held an almost pleading tone, as if she were willing me to like animal blood. But what she'd said made me shudder—the line about me preferring human blood. Then I remembered how I'd lunged at the poor woman walking by, and I shuddered again.

I rubbed my face. When I looked at my hand, there was some lingering blood on it. As much as my mind recoiled at the thought, my stomach seemed to take possession of my body, and before I knew what I was doing, my hand went to my mouth and I licked the blood off. Surprisingly, I found it tasted quite good. I smacked my lips in appreciation at the taste.

Sheepishly I looked down at Alice. "Um...you wouldn't happen to have another one of those, would you?" I asked, smiling.

She giggled, told me to sit back down, and skipped off. She returned a few seconds later, carrying a squirrel this time. With my stomach still in control of my body, I was able to ignore my mind's revulsion, and quickly drained the animal. Thankfully, since Alice had found such a secluded area of the park, no one had come anywhere near us since the woman had walked by.

When I was finished, Alice gathered up the three dead animals and buried them at the edge of the trees behind us. Returning to the bench and resuming her seat beside me, she then produced a handkerchief and wiped my mouth off for me. A simple act, really; yet somehow it felt rather...intimate.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"You're welcome," she softly replied. I stared at her for several seconds, and she stared back, a smile tugging up the corners of her mouth.

I finally tore my gaze from hers, and turned forward on the bench. I cleared my throat. "Well," I said, merely to have something to say

"Well what?" I could hear the amusement in her voice.

"Well, it would seem that I owe you an apology."

She frowned, confused. "An apology for what, Jasper?"

"For my denial of the existence of...of vampires. I ought to know by this time that when a fact appears to be opposed to a long train of deductions it invariably proves to be capable of bearing…some other interpretation. I cannot deny the facts of what just happened. And it would seem that you're right—somehow, I am a vampire. So, again I apologize for laughing at you." Gods, I thought, I am so sorry for laughing at you, beautiful lady! But, I didn't say that part. For Pete's sake, I'd just met the girl—I didn't want to scare her away.

And yet, I felt I had to tell her the truth. The truth that I had absolutely no idea what was happening, and that I wasn't even sure exactly who I was at the moment. I sighed, and turned back to her again.

"Alice, remember before, when I said there was something I had to tell you?" I began hesitantly. She nodded. "Well, I'd just better tell you, and get it over with. After you hear what I'm going to say, you probably won't want to be near me anymore."

She put my hand between both of her small ones, concern plain in her eyes. "It's ok, Jasper. I know you feed on humans. I realize that's all you've ever known in this life. But I want _you_ to know that I won't ever leave you! I'll help you get through this."

I shook my head. "This doesn't actually have anything to do with my dietary habits," I said, smiling ruefully. I sighed, and then proceeded to tell her the whole thing: about what I was doing only an hour or so ago, how I found myself on the street, and everything else. She listened patiently, and didn't interrupt me at all. I could tell that she was listening, because at certain points in my story she squeezed my hand tightly.

When I was done, she was silent for so long that I thought she was going to leave. And I couldn't blame her if she did. I mean, if someone had walked up to me and told me that same story, I would have written them off as needing some Prozac and a nice, quiet rest at a secluded place somewhere in the country.

But suddenly, and to my complete surprise, she threw herself into my arms, wrapping hers around me tightly.

"I don't care, Jasper!" she cried. "I don't care where you came from! You're here now, and I'm not leaving! I promise that you're not dreaming! You don't understand! All those long, lonely, empty years in the...in the asylum, I—I can't remember much at all, except that I kept seeing your face. And every time I did, every time my visions showed you to me, you smiled at me, smiled so sweetly! And I knew—oh, I knew I would find you someday! And now I have, and now I'll never let you go!"

It sounded like she was crying softly, and I pulled back a little, raising her face. There were no tears, and I frowned. "I thought you were crying! But I don't see any tears."

She smiled again. "Of course not, Jasper—vampires can't cry tears!"

I frowned, puzzled. I had so much to learn about this bizarre new existence I now found myself in. But I didn't have time right then to think on it, for Alice choose that moment to gently press her lips against mine. Shocked as I was for a few moments, I nevertheless found myself pulling her closer, and deepening the kiss. She wrapped her arms around me tightly, and I think we would have been quite content to stay that way for a long time, if not for the sound of someone clearing their throat nearby.

My eyes flew open, and there stood a police officer. He was trying his best to frown, but a smile kept threatening to break out on his face. Alice giggled and I gulped.

"Move along now, folks," he said gruffly. "Move along!"

Alice giggled again, and said, "Yes, officer!" Standing, she reached for my hand. I gave it to her, and stood as well. She twined her fingers in mine, and sighed again, looking at our joined hands. Then she looked up at me, flashing that bright smile of hers, the one that always threatened to make me dizzy. "Come with me?" she asked softly.

"Wherever you want to go," I replied, equally as quiet. I smiled weakly, still too awed by her to be able to do much else. Heck, I'd gladly walk into hell itself, just to be with her, if that's where she was going.

s we walked slowly away, not taking our eyes from each other, I heard the policeman say, "Ah...young love!" Then I heard his footsteps move off in the opposite direction.

We strolled out of the park and down the street. Everything seemed so vivid, so much more real than my former life. I could still remember all of it, but this new place, here, walking down the street with Alice beside me, her small hand in mine, began to feel…right.

"In all honesty, I can't entirely come to grips with things." We were still walking along, just enjoying each other's company. "It's like something out of a book. I'm still not sure this isn't all some kind of a very lucid dream, or hallucination. But I've decided that you're not."

She flashed that gorgeous smile.

"But if you're not, it rather begs the question: what are you?"

She looked down and sighed. "You've been honest with me, Jasper, so I owe you at least that much in return." She was silent again for several moments, except for a couple of sighs. I could tell she was struggling with something.

"I love you, Jasper," she finally whispered. "I know that sounds just as crazy as you think your story does: some silly girl you just met an hour ago is in love with you." She looked up at me. "But I can't help it. I told you before. You just met me, but…I've 'known' you for years. I know it sounds insane, I truly do! But still, it's a fact. I've watched you for years, knowing that someday I would find you. And during those years, I came to love you. Love you more than life itself. It's stupid, I know."

Her grip on my hand had been growing softer, almost as if she were emotionally distancing herself from me in preparation of me rejecting her. And if a girl had come up to me the day before with such a story, I would have run screaming in the opposite direction.

But there was something about Alice that I just couldn't figure. I felt drawn to her, deeply drawn to her, like there was some invisible or (dare I say it) mystical connection between the two of us. Being a Physicist, I couldn't deny that there were many things science could not explain. Quantum physics, after all, while theoretical, did allow for things which could possibly account for what had happened to me.

Maybe Fate had stepped in, when I stepped into the chamber of the Demoleculaizer. I had heard of the concept of "Time Twins"—people who were connected across the centuries, and when one was in danger the other was somehow drawn to him or her in order to save them at critical points. If such a thing were true, why not also "Time Lovers"? I admit that I didn't know much about Quantum mechanics…my field of expertise with Physics was practical, not theoretical. Still, the idea seemed at least plausible.

What snapped me out of my contemplations was the fact that Alice had nearly let go of my hand. I grasped her tightly to keep her from doing so. Was I in love with her? I wasn't sure. But I did know one thing with utter certainty: I would never hurt her, nor allow her to be hurt.

"It's not stupid, Alice. Maybe I can't explain what's happening any better than you can, but the one thing I know above anything else in this whole crazy situation is that you are not stupid."

Her smile returned, more bright and beautiful than before. And once again, that strange sensation came over me. Alice seemed to be glowing. And I felt giddy and light headed, almost as if I had a slight buzz. She gripped my hand tighter as well, and we continued down the street. And it still felt right. Even more right than before.

"So," I asked after another round of companionable silence. "Where are we going?"

She frowned a little. "I'm not sure. Where do you want to go?"

"Wherever you are," I replied, sappily yet truthfully.

She giggled again.

"Didn't you say something before about vegetarian vampires?" It was a little difficult getting the words out. As much as I might be willing to accept the fact that I had traveled through time and found the most beautiful woman God had ever made, I still couldn't quite get used to the idea that there were such things as vampires…let alone "vegetarian" ones…let alone that I evidently was now one myself.

Her face brightened at that idea. "Oh yes! Carlisle and the others!" Then she frowned. "Do you _really_ want to try and find them? Or are you just humoring me?"

I smiled down at her. "Yes, I really want to find them." _I'd do anything for you, Alice._

She grinned up at me. "Then let's go!" She picked up her pace, and we hurried out of the city...


End file.
